Ten Thousand Villages is a nonprofit, fair-trade retailer that sells handcrafted home decor, gifts and accessories from artisans around the world. Locally, a Ten Thousand Villages gift shop will be offered at Oxford Presbyterian Church (OPC).

This year, the shop at OPC will be open on Saturdays and Sundays through Dec. 14 from 10 a.m. to noon. On Small Business Saturday, Nov. 29, the shop will have extended hours until 5 p.m. The shop will also be open on Friday, Dec. 5, from 5 to 8 p.m.

According to www.tenthousandvillages.com, Ten Thousand Villages, which is a founding member of the World Fair Trade Organization, ensures that artisans receive a fair price for their work, which directly impacts the life and community of its maker in a developing country.

At OPC, items for sale will include pottery and textiles; ornaments; spice blends; coffee and chocolate; jewelry; trivets; artwork; greeting cards; toys, games and puzzles; journals and notebooks; scarves, gloves and socks; planters; dried nuts; and wallets.

Local authors will also offer books for sale, including Cochranville author Iris Gray Dowling. Featured will be her new book, titled, "Echoing Memories #2," which she completed this year. Dowling will visit the shop on Dec. 5 from 5 to 8 p.m. and offer signed books to purchase. Guests may also ask Dowling questions about her books and writing process.

"The book is about things that happened in the past century. I did a section on the military, including the relatives who served in various wars," she stated. "Those who are still living have written their own stories."

She noted that another section of the book details the life of the late President Jimmy Carter, while another talks about Dowling's mother, who was a teacher. "There are two poems that were written about my mother by her students," Dowling said. "After she retired, she stared making quilts. People would want a certain color or pattern, and she would make any quilts they wanted." Photos of some of the quilts are included in the book.

Dowling said her own memories are also featured, including her first teaching assignment out of college at the Sugartown School near Malvern. "Other articles (in the book) are about items that have disappeared from daily use over the past 50 years like the silver $1 coin, the $2 bill and other coins. The penny is also disappearing," she added. "People use tissues rather than cloth handkerchiefs, (and people no longer use) penny postcards."

Dowling, who has spent more than 65 years as an educator, author and play director, Dowling has written more than 17 books, including "Let's Open Our Eyes & Find a Luna Moth"; "Nature Stories #2"; "Days Gone By (Life in 1930s and 1940s)," which details the beginnings of Cochranville"; and "Keep Your Eyes Open (Discover the Cecropia Moth)."

Oxford Presbyterian Church is located at 6 Pine St., Oxford. The shop is located in Room 206 on the second floor of the church, which can be accessed by the stairs or an elevator. Only cash and checks are accepted for payment.

To learn more about the local Ten Thousand Villages shop, visit www.facebook.com/OxfordPresbyterian or call the church office at 610-932-9640.

For more information about Dowling's books or how to obtain a copy, email dowlingiris013@gmail.com.